Should you publish during your PhD?
McFall et al. (2015) analyze the 2007-2010 economics job market using surveys and data from job market websites. They find that only about 28% of job market candidates had a publication, although that share may be higher now. Is having a publication going to set you apart and improve your chances of a successful job market?
In my view, the answer is: typically, yes. But, there are still some tradeoffs and caveats to consider.